I am in the process of outfitting a varmint rig.. I just got a savage fv in .223 and plan to put a tasco 6-24x42 varmint scope on it....I know this is a low end scope and I probably will be flamed for even mentioning it.....but it's what I can afford right now...and I plan to get better when I can afford better and also to upgrade the stock...I have had a couple rifles with Leupold glass and have always been happy with it....but anyway...What I can budget in right now is low end scope... I when I upgrade I will pass this one along to someone else that can't budget much either (probably on ebay)...But anyway...Here's my question(s)....1. does anybody have any experience with these scope and if so what do you think? I was also looking at Barska and ruled them out...and was looking at BSA and have pretty much decided on a Tasco for now. 2. I seen that the tasco's dont' come with sunshades...Do I need them? It so what length? Will the sunshades that fit the Super Sniper with the 42mm objectives fit the tasco varmint scopes with the 42mm objective? 3. I hunt mainly early morning/late evening...Would it be to my advantage to get one with a illuminated reticle? I've seen reviews on differnt low end scopes that addressed issues of To Much light. If I get one with an illuminated reticle does it have to be illuminated all the time to use it? or can I use it with the illumation turned off like a regular black reticle? I have been hunting coyotes and fox with a .22 mag for a number of years...It does a good job on fox. but only a fair job on coyotes if they dont hang up and I can get them in within 125 yards or so. I decided to step up and get a dedicated varmint rig.....If I waited until I could afford everything I wanted..I would end up never having anything....Everything's a compromise in life....for now low end optics will have to take low priority over the family's health and happiness. Hope I can get some good feedback and am not over flammed by my low end choice..

Replies: Posted By: SVT_Tactical
Date Posted: March/18/2011 at 07:18

Here's what you do, get the 6-24x50 Vortex crossfire $99 special an use it until you can afford better. They have a lifetime transferable warranty and most have had good luck with them. Do NOT buy BSA, Tasco, Barska or any other cheap crap that has horrid products and CS cause with a low end scope your probability of having to use the CS is higher.

Posted By: Midwest_Hunter
Date Posted: March/18/2011 at 09:01

+1 to SVT's suggestion

Posted By: medic52
Date Posted: March/20/2011 at 06:22

http://swfa.com/Vortex-6-24x50-Crossfire-Rifle-Scope-P43585.aspx - http://swfa.com/Vortex-6-24x50-Crossfire-Rifle-Scope-P43585.aspx you won't regret this I have been amazed with mine..........

-------------"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him." G.K. Chesterton

Posted By: Rich Coyle
Date Posted: May/21/2011 at 21:29

bushshadow584,

The two longest shots I have made on varmints were made with Tasco 6-24. In fact when my Savage .223 started shooting bad groups I thought the barrel was shot out after 2,200 rounds. I am used to much larger calibers. A friend told me it should get 10,000 rounds so I changed the Burris 8-32 Signature out to a Tasco from another rifle. The very next five shot 100 yard group measured .312".

Recently I purchased another Tasco. This time it was a 4-16X. Following is a fun comparison and gun smith evaluation.

4/8/11

Today, the new Pentax Gameseeker 2 4-16X50 arrived. The sun had already set but I wanted to check it anyway. I got out the Tasco World Class 4-16X40 that arrived last week.

Both required 16X to read "THIS SIDE DOWN" on the pump house 127 yards away. Dispite the Pentax having a 50mm objective they both went down at the same time: 7:40 PM. The Pentax seemed a little brighter, but I still could not resolve the words.

I got the Bushnell 6500 out and adjusted it till I could read the words easily. The magnification was set on 24. When I could no longer read the words even on 30X I brought out the way more expensive Swarovski Z5 5-25X52. It only needed 18X to clearly and easily read the words.

So the value of the high powered variable is that one can make out detail way after the lower magnification scopes punk out.

So if you have already spotted a buck and it's too dark to make out whether it is a spike or not just turn up the high powered variable. O, wait a minute you have a fixed 6X or a 3-9X don't you?

4/10/11

I took the new Tasco to Bob’s Accuracy Shop.He snickered at the idea I would buy a Tasco 4-16X World Class.Everyone knows they are trash.He tried to convince me it would not hold zero if the magnification was changed.After installing it in his scope fixture he ran the power to 15X. I asked him why and he told me a cheap scope would blur out at its highest setting.I turned it up and it was beautiful.Bob was very surprised.

He has a grid on a tree about 100 yards from his bench mounted scope fixture.There was no discernable point of impact change throughout the magnification range.He knew adjusting the parallax would change the crosshairs.It didn’t.He did some impact testing to see how it would react to recoil.Again no change. Very good value for $71 delivered.

-------------Jesus died for our sins. Now He's alive!

Posted By: billyburl2
Date Posted: May/21/2011 at 21:41

+1 on the Vortex!

-------------If it is tourist season, why can't we shoot them?

Posted By: bugsNbows
Date Posted: May/22/2011 at 08:22

Rich Coyle wrote:

bushshadow584,

The two longest shots I have made on varmints were made with Tasco 6-24. In fact when my Savage .223 started shooting bad groups I thought the barrel was shot out after 2,200 rounds. I am used to much larger calibers. A friend told me it should get 10,000 rounds so I changed the Burris 8-32 Signature out to a Tasco from another rifle. The very next five shot 100 yard group measured .312".

Recently I purchased another Tasco. This time it was a 4-16X. Following is a fun comparison and gun smith evaluation.

4/8/11

Today, the new Pentax Gameseeker 2 4-16X50 arrived. The sun had already set but I wanted to check it anyway. I got out the Tasco World Class 4-16X40 that arrived last week.

Both required 16X to read "THIS SIDE DOWN" on the pump house 127 yards away. Dispite the Pentax having a 50mm objective they both went down at the same time: 7:40 PM. The Pentax seemed a little brighter, but I still could not resolve the words.

I got the Bushnell 6500 out and adjusted it till I could read the words easily. The magnification was set on 24. When I could no longer read the words even on 30X I brought out the way more expensive Swarovski Z5 5-25X52. It only needed 18X to clearly and easily read the words.

So the value of the high powered variable is that one can make out detail way after the lower magnification scopes punk out.

So if you have already spotted a buck and it's too dark to make out whether it is a spike or not just turn up the high powered variable. O, wait a minute you have a fixed 6X or a 3-9X don't you?

4/10/11

I took the new Tasco to Bob’s Accuracy Shop.He snickered at the idea I would buy a Tasco 4-16X World Class.Everyone knows they are trash.He tried to convince me it would not hold zero if the magnification was changed.After installing it in his scope fixture he ran the power to 15X. I asked him why and he told me a cheap scope would blur out at its highest setting.I turned it up and it was beautiful.Bob was very surprised.

He has a grid on a tree about 100 yards from his bench mounted scope fixture.There was no discernable point of impact change throughout the magnification range.He knew adjusting the parallax would change the crosshairs.It didn’t.He did some impact testing to see how it would react to recoil.Again no change. Very good value for $71 delivered.

So, I'm confused. If you think so highly of the Tasco's, why are you wasting money on Swaro's, Bushy 6500's, Burris, etc? To each his own to be sure, but I'll not be using Trashco's.

-------------If we're not suppose to eat animals...how come they're made of meat? Anomymous

Posted By: Rich Coyle
Date Posted: May/22/2011 at 10:24

bugsNbows

I am sorry to confuse you. My objective is to encourage the original poster. Maybe this will help: If one likes hot dogs why does one go out to steak once in a while?

I posted info on a couple inexpense scopes but didn't include the following anidote.

The Tasco has A.O. The Pentax doesn't. When I took them to the shooting range I set the A.O. of the Tasco on the 200 yard target. The Pentax had to do the best it could without any adjustment. I called a couple new shooters to the sandbags where the two scopes were laying and suggested they look through them. I told them the Tasco cost $71 delivered and the Pentax I got off ebay for $112. Those are pretty cheap prices

After they looked through them they entusiastically commented on how the crosshair of the Tasco didn't move and the crosshair in the Pentax moved at least 6" in any direction when the head was moved.

If I didn't buy different scopes I wouldn't know these thing emprically and could not show or tell others about this.

-------------Jesus died for our sins. Now He's alive!

Posted By: Fredfrankbob
Date Posted: May/22/2011 at 14:33

I will probably get flamed here too but here goes, everyone has to start somewhere, the vortex may work for you and has decent glass for the money, another suggestion is the sweet .223 from BSA, yep it's cheap, but mine has held up over well over 150+ rounds on a varmint AR and I would trust it enough to hunt with, actually I took it out on a hunt but saw nothing, I checked the bullet drop drums and they are actually close enough to match the drop out to 250 yards for me, and they are on closeout on SWFA.

Since you are asking for suggestions I will share what I put on my 223. After being out of the 22 centerfire business for several years I decided I wanted what I call a pickup grade sporter/ varmiter to have when I'm out and about on the farm. I purchased a clean used stevens 200 and then found a Nikon prostaff 3-9x40 on closeout for $99 delivered ( sorry it wasn't swfa). This little rifle shoots easily in 1" and I would not hesitate to take a crack at any groundhog or coyote out to 300 -350 yds.If I miss it won't be the equipment. The little scope is light, clear and holds zero well. No it is not an alpha scope but it's not that bad.I use to be a died in the wool groundhog chaser in my youth and I did fine with a 22-250 with an old weaver K-10 and never really felt my scope was the limiting factor. As a matter of fact I was given a 4-16 to try at one point and ended up going back to the K-10. You really don't need all of that magnification for a 223.

Posted By: Urimaginaryfrnd
Date Posted: September/03/2011 at 09:07

If I had to pick I would say stay in the 4-16 power range no matter which brand you select. I understand it being a struggle to afford the optic you would rather have but I also understand that it cost more in the long run to buy something and be unhappy with it then later trade into or buy what you wanted to start with. I will suggest this scope and while its more its not outrageous. The low end power of a scope for hunting is often more important than the high end as the high end power range can only be used with a really solid rest where a 4x can be shot off hand easily. Even if you do go Tasco I'd stay with the 4-16x and Ive had good luck with a couple of 3-9 Tascos they are not great scopes but they have been reliable for me but I do think the Weaver is a big step up and the other route is to buy a Super Sniper fixed power with tactical knobs to dial in correction I've gone that route and been quite happy with them.

"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do".Bobby Paul DohertyTexas Ranger

Posted By: Rude Robert
Date Posted: September/08/2011 at 14:59

Hi I have a spotsmen I believe it is, a guy gave it to me when I bought my ar over a year half ago. He bought it from walmart for like 60$ and says that it was on his 7 mm mag. I have the a4 where u can take off the carry handle with your fingers lol. I wanted to be able to use both iron sites and scope at the same time. So I had is mounted on the carry handle and it fell over a couple times while leaning against a tree, it still held zero. I was surprised, i had it on my quad too, going over ruff roads and still held zero. Now, it sits in the safe, and since I bought a Larue 109 mount and it sports my Leupold scope. I know, but I try and support america, what's left of it. I would not think twice on putting that scope back on the carry handle at all and it will still probable be on zero since nothing has change for that set up. The glass wasn't too bad, I probably have been lucky in that regards, especially since i had it on the quad in the rhino mounts that was bouncing from side to side. Sorry for the bad writing i am lacking sleep, been up almost two days now.